


With our Comrades

by Blazonix



Series: Together to the Future [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Best Friends, Friendship, Gen, Missions Gone Wrong, Self-Insert, Team Bonding, Training Sessions Gone Wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-11
Updated: 2016-03-13
Packaged: 2018-05-26 03:30:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6221896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blazonix/pseuds/Blazonix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>No one said bonds between people are easy.</p><p>(In which Kiba and Sakura drag people in like black holes)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On a mission

Sakura is sitting next to him, petting Akamaru like the world is ending. He’s pretty sure that’s an exaggeration on her part.

Today is the day they get their teams. (Comrades unto death)

They’ve already gotten their pictures taken and are waiting for Iruka-sensei. They’re also waiting for Naruto, but the three of them are the only ones who know that.

He’s excited. Sakura is too, if her scent is anything to go by.

Akamaru is feeling rather melancholy and allows Sakura all the cuddles she desires.

This will be the last time they can freely hang out together. After today, their attention will be focused almost solely on their own teams.

While the thought stings a little, he knows that even apart they will be moving forward together.

He knows because even though Sakura is riddled with fear and anxiety, she’s also filled with determination and courage.

Sakura has made a promise to herself, to her family, and to the Inuzuka.

A certain loudmouth barrels into the room, Konoha headband proudly resting where goggles used to be.

The blond doesn’t even have to open his mouth for the room to be in an uproar.

Naruto, he thinks, is very good at getting attention even when he’s not trying.

Sakura watches her future teammate with intense eyes, judging and hopeful. He watches too because it’s too interesting not to.

Life no longer follows the same scenes as the pages of a manga; they’ve already changed so much by simply being themselves.

Ino doesn’t know who Sakura is, never having been needed. Naruto only knows him as his prank supplier; they’ve never skipped class together because Sakura won’t let him.

Sakura has been accepted as an Honorary Inuzuka. He no longer takes anyone at face value.

More importantly, Sakura does not have a crush on Sasuke, and Naruto does not have a crush on Sakura.

Team 7’s dynamics are going to be something new and interesting; he can feel it.

Naruto puffs himself up and taps on his headband as he loudly declares himself a ninja. He receives jeers in response.

For a moment Naruto falters before pumping his fist and declaring that he will be the best ninja of them all. When someone scoffs, Naruto jumps on top of the desk in front of him and shouts he will be Hokage.

They believe him, but the rest of the class mocks him in response.

It’s not exactly their fault that they can’t see Naruto’s worth. The blond has continuously skipped classes, thrown balloons instead of knives, talked big without backing it up, and couldn’t master a single jutsu.

They’re all in for a shock, that’s for sure.

Sakura doesn’t realize it, but she is smiling.

Then the door opens, and everyone holds their breath.

 -*-

Iruka-sensei is standing before them, pride in his students practically radiating from him. Mizuki-sensei is nowhere to be seen.

He won’t miss the teacher who smelt of deceit and jealousy, but Iruka-sensei will be a sorely missed part of his day.

The time comes, and he begins calling out the teams.

Sakura is taking deep breaths beside him, and he has to reign in the impulse to hold her hand. He doesn’t care what others say, but she’s asked him to hold off on the touching.

It’s not going to stop everyone from thinking they’re going to marry each other, but he humors her.

“Next is Team 7,” Iruka-sensei says, “Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke.”

Sakura closes her eyes and stops breathing. The weight of destiny is heavy.

“Ugh! Iruka-sensei, why the hell to do I have to be on the same team as this bastard?” Naruto shouts, hands already going into the air.

While Iruka-sensei is busy with Naruto, he flicks Sakura on the forehead.

She flinches and growls. The glare she’s giving him is almost as impressive as his mother’s. Akamaru decides to take cover under the desk.

Wordlessly, he motions to Naruto with his head. She knows what she needs to do.

Grimacing, she reaches down to pet Akamaru one last time. She stands up, flicks him on the forehead in retaliation, and leaves.

She doesn’t look back, and he doesn’t expect her to.

“Team 8,” Iruka-sensei finally continues, “Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino.”

Her destiny awaits her, but so does his.

 -*-

Hinata and Shino are-

Well, they’re quiet, eerily so.

They’ve gathered at Hinata’s desk. Hinata is picking at her jacket sleeve, and Shino is staring at the wall. He, himself, is pulling a Sakura and is staring at the ceiling. Akamaru is watching the pink-haired girl like the sad, little puppy he is.

None of them are looking at each other.

This isn’t going to work. Something’s going to have to give.

It does, just not in the way he expects it to.

It’s only been a few minutes, but Akamaru is on his feet, urging him to look at Sakura.

He whips his head away from the ceiling so abruptly it catches his teammates by surprise.

His eyes are not on them though; it’s on Sakura who is all alone and looking down at her hands.

They’ve barely begun, and already they’ve abandoned her.

Hot, burning anger courses through him. A silent snarl pulls at his lips, and he knows he’s going to drag those two idiots back even if he has to kill them.

His body language conveys everything to Akamaru. They take off, leaving Shino and Hinata to stare at his back uncomprehendingly.

He’s going to teach those two _exactly_ what it means to leave their teammate behind-

He stops mid stride as he realizes, he too, is about to leave his teammates behind. Akamaru questions him.

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Anger does not help others. He’s livid, but that doesn’t mean he can’t think rationally.

“New plan,” he tells Akamaru.

“Oi, Shino, Hinata, come with me!” He yells over his shoulder.

Murder is best enjoyed as a team.

 -*-

“Kiba, where are you taking me?” Sakura hisses at him.

He’s dragging her by the arm, Akamaru is leading, and Shino and Hinata are reluctantly following behind. They probably make for an odd picture. He doesn’t care.

Sakura is scowling at him, but isn’t trying to get out of his grip. It’s a deep trust placed in him; he hopes to repay it in short order.

Akamaru navigates them through the school to the roof, and he smells Naruto long before he sees him.

The blond is sitting on the other side of the fence, sulking. He hears Hinata let out a squeak behind him. It takes everything he has not to dash forward and push the blond off.

No need to ruin three valuable relationships in one go.

“Oi!” He hollers instead.

The blond yelps and tumbles off. Naruto catches himself at the last minute, and Sakura is there, hauling him back up to the roof. Hinata makes a quiet dying sound behind him. It’s almost satisfying.

“Kiba!” Sakura scolds, but he can smell the mirth she’s trying to hide.

“What the hell was that for?” Naruto yells at him once he’s regain his balance.

He regards the blond seriously. His anger has already died out. He doesn’t feel like he overreacted, but he knows the blond doesn’t even realize his offense.

“Do you know what being teammates mean?” He decides to ask.

“Eh?” Naruto squints at him like he doesn’t understand.

He probably won’t for a while, but he can at least point the blond in the right direction.

“Teammates don’t abandon each other. They help each other and build each other up. Teammates are there for you no matter what. Stop ignoring her,” he says, making sure it’s said clearly with just the right emphasis.

He wants Naruto to remember these words. He’s entrusting his precious person into someone else’s hands.

He does not want to be disappointed again.

“Oi, let’s go get lunch,” he tells Hinata and Shino, who are still with him.

He jumps off the roof, Akamaru following him.

Shino and Hinata follow too.

 -*-

They’re still silent, but they’re no longer avoiding each other.

Progress, he thinks as he finishes off his skewered chicken.

They still have about two and half hours left before their sensei shows up, which means he has that much time left to work on forging Team 8’s bonds.

He’s not quite sure what to do. Food was about the only thing he could think of.

Luckily, Akamaru is there to lend a helping paw.

“Akamaru wants some dessert, you guys interested?”

 -*-

They make it back to the classroom with only a few minutes to spare. Team 8 unanimously agrees that the fault lies with sheer bad luck.

Somehow Akamaru wanting dessert led to a bizarre series of events that took them all across the merchant district.

He maintains, to a giggling Hinata and unsuccessfully stoic Shino, that the pastry man had it coming.

His teammates are a little more relaxed, Akamaru is happily stuffed, and they have completed their first D-rank entirely by accident. It’s worth the lifetime banishment.

Probably.

He takes a seat next to his teammates and looks for the familiar pink hair. Sakura catches his eye and beams at him from across the room. Sasuke is sitting away from them, but Naruto is next to her ranting about something, hands moving in excitement.

She is happy, and he is pleased.

Then the door opens.

 -*-

“So I heard you’ve had quite the afternoon adventure,” Kurenai-sensei says, amusement lacing her voice.

The three of them look at each other, daring one of them to answer her. Akamaru, the lucky dog, can’t speak their language yet and gets a pass.

He loses when Hinata gives him the injured puppy look, and Shino gives him the “I’ll-die-before-I-do-it” stare.

He has a terrible feeling that he’s going to be seeing these looks often in the near future.

“It wasn’t our fault,” he calmly states. “Akamaru just wanted some dessert, but when we got to the shop, they said they don’t serve dogs. I was going to leave, but then Akamaru smelled something weird, so…”

-*-

Shino and Hinata are from a different world. He doesn’t mean their skills are terrible. (They can catch up, he knows it)

For them, silence and stillness is a part of life. Their clans value different things. Their bodies speak a different language with different meanings.

They _smell_ different.

It makes him grit his teeth, but it’s something he has to keep reminding himself.

Shino’s posture is typical for the Aburame; for the Inuzuka it’s almost maddening with how aggressive it is.

Hinata’s a bit better and worse at the same time; everything about her screams beaten down and cowed.

He can’t bring them over for dinner until he’s confident he can kick the ass of anyone who bothers them about it.

He sighs and trains even harder.

-*-

Kurenai-sensei is both a gentle mother and a harsh taskmaster.

It’s bewildering as it is incredible.

“Kiba, you found me in record time! Good job,” she says with a proud smile.

She raises her hands, sign forming, and says,

“Now do better.”

-*-

He’s sleeping; his dreams are both beautiful and sad. Akamaru lies by his side like always.

A familiar tapping wakes him up.

1 a.m., his alarm clock says.

He’s sore and tired, but he gets up anyways. Akamaru doesn’t even whine when he stuffs the ninken into the warmth of his jacket.

Sakura is waiting with an arm full of flavored bread.

-*-

“So,” he says around a mouthful of pumpkin spiced bread.

“So,” Sakura says back, pinching off pieces of her own squash flavored one.

They’re sitting on a bench in a nearby park, but it doesn’t feel like last time.

This feels more like a social visit than a revelation.

“Two of them?” Sakura guesses.

“Three,” he corrects her, “plus their partners.”

“They must be hungry for gossip,” she says mildly.

The fact that they can sense his family members hiding in the bushes at all is because their spies aren’t making much of an effort.

It’s more of a warning not to try anything, but he’s not oblivious to the bets being made behind his back.

“Just ignore ‘em,” he tells her.

Her lips curl in good humor, and they take a moment to enjoy each other’s company.

“So, we passed Kakashi-sensei’s test, obviously,” Sakura tells him once they’ve finished eating.

“Eh, we already impressed Kurenai-sensei, so no test on our end,” he says.

He does not mention the fact that Kurenai-sensei accepts their first D-rank as their genin test.

“Oh, I heard _all_ about that,” Sakura’s eyes are glittering with amusement.

“Don’t try to blame it on Akamaru either.”

He winces. Akamaru barks out a laugh from his jacket cocoon.

“How about you tell me how your test went then,” he tries, “since you know everything about mine.”

Sakura laughs but drops it. She tells him about her test. She tells him that she actually ate before the exam, and that Kakashi had given her hell for it.

She speaks of how Naruto and Sasuke had tried to take on Kakashi single-handedly, and Kakashi tried to break her with genjutsu.

It may have shaken her up, but she had no problems breaking it. (And it is here that it gets interesting; _change_ )

Naruto found her, and she managed to convince him to go get Sasuke. Sasuke was not a willing participant at first, but…

She pauses and looks him dead in the eye.

“Do you know what being teammates mean? Teammates don’t abandon each other. They help each other and build each other up. Teammates are there for you no matter what. Stop ignoring us,” she quotes.

He is surprised, probably more than he should be.

“He said it to Sasuke.” She says almost dreamily, “He said it with such conviction. It was bizarre, like a spell enchantment.”

She breaks into a grin.

“Kiba, I don’t think you can own that saying anymore,” she teases.

He says nothing, and she continues her tale. Of how she threw pepper and smoke bombs to throw off Kakashi’s senses, how Naruto used it to hide his clones, and that Sasuke was, in turn, hiding amongst the clones to get a hold of the bells.

They were actually a few seconds too late, but she thinks they impressed Kakashi anyway.

He knows they did.

-*-

D-ranked missions are about as exciting as getting hit by a kunai.

It’s not as bad as it could be, Kurenai-sensei does what she can to make it a more constructive experience.

Forcing them to work on genjutsu breaking while doing the mission is a particular favorite of hers.

Still, he thinks as a potato hits him in the eye, nothing will compare to their first mission of busting an amateur drug ring.

“Kai,” he says in a loud whisper, forming the appropriate hand sign.

The slight sting around his eye fades, and the potatoes in his basket turn back into leaves.

“Good job, Kiba. You’re faster than yesterday,” Kurenai-sensei smiles, “but Akamaru broke out of his ten seconds ago.”

Akamaru puffs up in pride. It’s all he can do to keep from rolling his eyes.

Hinata giggles in the background, and Shino pretends they don’t exist.

-*-

Their howls ring loud and clear through the night.

Nothing can escape them, nothing will live.

Their claws rip through the ground as if it was never there to begin with.

They fly through the air and snatch their prey.

The squirrel dies; they are victorious.

They rear back their heads and roar their pride.

“OI, GO TO BED ALREADY!” A demonic voice shouts.

Lowering the heads of their Double-headed Wolf form, they whine.

-*-

“Stupid. D-rank,” it comes out muffled because he is currently choking on mud.

He didn’t think he could taste anything nastier than Aunt Himawari’s special stew, but this mud is something else.

“D-Don’t worry! I-I’ve got Akamaru,” Hinata says from somewhere to his right.

Akamaru whines about being cold. He couldn’t care less because he is currently suffocating, and the ninken is not.

A hand grabs him by the back of his jacket and pulls him out of the mud.

Someone hands him a handkerchief, and he wipes his eyes then his nose.

He looks up.

“Thanks, Shino.”

Sunglasses shine back at him.

-*-

Another day, another D-rank.

This time they are doing inventory for a shopkeeper who would rather pay the mission fee than have someone else do it.

Apparently ninjas are more trustworthy than his own handpicked employees.

Even D-rank missions aren’t cheap, and it speaks volumes about both the owner and the workers.

He knows they need to maintain good relations with Konoha civilians, but doesn’t this guy have anything better to do? They’re trying to work, and the shopkeeper keeps trying to drag them into gossip.

The shopkeeper manages to corner him to talk about girls, and he shoots Shino a pleading look.

Shino gives him the familiar stare and beckons Akamaru over to him.

Akamaru takes the invitation without even hesitating, and he’s left trying to get out of the conversation on his own.

Kurenai-sensei eventually rescues him when she stops by to check up on their progress.

-*-

Tap, tap. Tappity, tap-tap.

He cracks an eye open and groans.

She brings milk this time.

-*-

“It’s coming up soon,” she says without any preamble.

He wonders if he can convince her to bring meat-filled bread next time.

Probably not, he knows she hates the stuff.

“Naruto’s getting antsy, and so is Sasuke, come to think of it,” she says, biting her lip.

Maybe some sweets? Hinata would probably like some, so they’ll need extra.

“Kakashi-sensei is, well. He’s Kakashi-sensei. He probably thinks we’re ready,” she says brow furrowing.

No wait, extra extra, can’t forget Shino. He has no idea what kind of sweets the guy likes, but he’ll make the Aburame eat them anyway.

“Are you even listening to me?” Sakura screams in his ear.

“You’re first C-rank’s coming up, you’re worried about it, and you don’t know what to do,” he says flatly, rubbing his ear.

Akamaru is home, sleeping in a nice warm bed. He’s here, getting yelled at.

Lucky dog.

“So what do I do?” She asks anxiously.

He grimaces and looks to the stars.

“You have a bunch of options,” he tells her, “you just need to figure out which one you want to do.”

She’s still looking at him as if he holds the answer, so he continues,

“The obvious ones are: turn it down, accept it, or ask for another one.”

“And the not-so-obvious?” She questions.

“Well, you can always give up halfway. You can sabotage your team and get no missions, or,” he pauses, “you can go ahead and ask for a C-rank before that mission comes up.”

Her eyes widen, and she grabs his hands as if to proclaim her love.

“Kiba,” she breathes, “you’re brilliant.”

He rolls his eyes.

“Don’t get too excited,” he warns. “You don’t know what’ll happen. Your next mission might be even more dangerous.”

“Better than a Swordsman!” She says with a laugh, letting go of him.

While she cheers up, he can’t stop the uneasy feeling inside of him.

Their first C-rank will definitely go wrong no matter what mission is picked.

Team 7 was always unlucky. Tsunade probably cursed it.

He doesn’t say anything more about it.

Not to Sakura anyways.

-*-

Kurenai-sensei’s eyebrows almost fly up to her hairline.

“You want to go on a joint C-rank?” She exclaims.

He nods. He can feel Hinata’s curiosity, and Shino’s assessing stare burning into his back.

Akamaru is a silent support at his side.

“With Team 7,” he makes sure to remind her.

“Kiba,” she says softly, “you might be ready but Hinata and Shino still need-“

“I agree with Kiba.”

He blinks in surprise.

“Shino?”

“Why you ask? Because we are ready. A joint C-rank will increase experience and minimize risks. It will benefit both the client and the ninja working for the client. How? The client will receive two capable teams for the price of one while the jonin-sensei’s are training their genin to work with other teams. Both will gain from such a venture.” Shino manages to say it all tonelessly.

His teacher and he share a baffled look. That’s the most Shino has spoken since Team 8 formed.

Kurenai-sensei doesn’t say anything. Instead, her gaze lands on the girl behind him.

“Hinata?” Kurenai-sensei asks, voice gentle.

It’s a loaded question, and Hinata almost trembles as she pokes her fingers together. She won’t look up at any of them.

Akamaru leaves his side and sits by her foot. The ninken is a silent encouragement, and Hinata smiles down at him.

She takes a deep breath and looks up.

For a second time in his life, he is startled by the intensity in someone’s eyes.

“I-I can do it,” she states softly but firmly.

Kurenai-sensei closes her eyes in defeat and grimaces.

He has a feeling she’s thinking about Kakashi and the paperwork involved.

He’s blessed with the best teacher in the world.

His teammates (Comrades unto death) are pretty awesome too.

-*-

Kurenai-sensei manages to procure the mission with Team 7.

The two teams will be moving out in the morning to deliver a letter. It’s a three day mission, which is being generous, and will be taking place near Konoha.

It sounds like overkill, but the risk is low and the pay, high.

A low ranked noble is trying to establish contact for the first time with a higher ranked family member.

Hiring Konoha to deliver it ensures that no one tampers with it while showing the noble’s esteem at the same time.

Nothing says “I really like you, let’s talk” quite the way hiring ninja does.

It’s a lot of money to spend on delivery between two villages so close together, but the noble suspects his mother wants to intercept the letter.

It’s not possible to hire enemy ninja this close to Konoha, so there aren’t any issues assigning this one out to Team 7 and Team 8 who both have remarkable jonin for squad leaders.

-*-

Sis helps him put together his first mission pack, and they meet bright and early at the gates.

Sakura and Sasuke are already there.

Akamaru lets him know the rest of Team 8’s scent is getting stronger.

Sakura turns and blinks at the sound of Akamaru’s bark.

“Kiba?” She asks startled, “Do you have mission outside too?”

He wonders how to answer in a way that doesn’t end in screaming.

“Yeah, turns out I’m coming with you,” he answers nonchalantly.

“What do you mean you’re coming with me?” Sakura questions, eyebrows drawn together in confusion.

“Team 8 has placed a request to accompany Team 7 on their mission,” Kurenai-sensei states, coming up behind them.

Shino and Hinata are there too, and he wonders if he missed a meet up point.

“You can do that?” Sakura asks stunned.

“Well, it’s not normal procedure, and your pay will be halved. Genin have a bit more leeway in how they handle missions,” Kurenai-sensei admits.

“So why are you here, then?” Sasuke demands coldly.

He has to clamp his mouth shut to keep from baring his fangs. He doesn’t care for the disrespect towards his teacher, but he can keep quiet for the mission’s sake.

He taps Akamaru with his leg to keep the ninken from growling.

He makes no promises about not beating the insolence out of him afterwards.

“I am here,” Kurenai-sensei proclaims with narrow eyes, “because I feel Team 8 can benefit from working alongside another team.”

What she doesn’t say is that he begged her with puppy-dog eyes while his teammates backed him up.

-*-

Naruto shows up at the last minute, and Hinata almost faints.

Naruto has difficulties comprehending the term joint mission. He stops Sakura from trying to beat it into the blond’s head.

Akamaru tries to get a reaction out of Sasuke that isn’t negative.

Shino is grudgingly pulled into a one-sided conversation involving sunglasses with Kurenai-sensei.

Kakashi shows up late and is put out when they barely notice.

-*-

They’re supposed to be acting as green as possible; they’re pretending to be baby genin who can’t even run in case they’re being tailed from Konoha.

They’ve chosen to place the teachers at the front and back with the genin paired up in twos in between.

Because the town isn’t that far from Konoha, they’ve decided to stroll rather than walk.

It’s a bit unexpected because they aren’t walking with a client, but it’s a nice day.

Kakashi is behind him, reading the ever famous orange book. Shino’s next to him, and Sakura and Hinata are in front of him. Akamaru is riding on top of his head.

He is more than content with this formation; something inside of him is satisfied in an unexplainable way.

He’s not unaware of the calculating look Kakashi keeps giving him, but the man smells of protection; he has no problem leaving his back to the jonin.

He’s not surprised when Kakashi speaks up.

“Your sensei asked to do a C-rank mission with us. I turned her down at first, then she threatened to make everyone around me think I’m a woman,” Kakashi tells him, humor rolling off of him.

“I did no such thing!” Kurenai-sensei calls from the front, “I merely suggested others may be a bit confused about your disposition.”

Kakashi lazily gives her a “yeah, yeah” motion and goes back to his book.

Sakura giggles at the imagery; Hinata is smiling next to her. Naruto zeroes in on Kurenai-sensei’s potential pranking abilities. Sasuke pretends he’s not listening in, and Shino is giving Naruto a “my sensei, _mine_ ” stare.

Even though it can’t last, he knows these are the moments he lives for.

(He truly does have the best teacher in the world)

-*-

They bunker down for the night; it’s more for training purposes than because they need to.

They’ve already learned how to properly camp on various type of missions, but their teachers want to make sure.

It’s for that reason they build two separate campfires with two separate parameters even though they’re set up right next to each other.

Team 8 is flawless and has their food cooking in no time.

Team 7 is…well they’re still working on it.

(Naruto screams in frustration because the animals can sense his malicious chakra and run off. Sasuke is unable to get the fire going for no apparent reason, and Sakura is being forced to sit back and watch because of the boys’ prides. Kakashi is watching all this with a flat expression)

-*-

Team 8 is shamelessly watching Team 7 like they’re on stage.

Akamaru keeps a running commentary that only he can understand.

Hinata’s eyes never stray from Naruto, and Kurenai-sensei is smiling almost mockingly at Kakashi.

Shino is smug of course.

-*-

Team 7 is strange compared to their original version.

Their new rapport is very…interesting.

It’s almost like watching a comedy act, really.

Naruto shouts into Sasuke’s face while waving a rabbit leg around. Sasuke flicks rib cage bones back at him with a sneer. The Uchiha manages to goad Naruto into being even louder.

None of it has any real heat behind it, more childish play than anything.

Sakura lets them bicker while she eats her own meal. Once finished, she sets her stake aside and cracks her knuckles.

Naruto and Sasuke don’t even notice her until she’s standing over them.

Snarling, she shoves their faces into the dirt and doesn’t let go until Kakashi ambles his way over.

Their sensei asks, in a very pleasant voice, for her to let go so his mentally challenged students don’t get worse. She reluctantly lets them up for air before heading back to her original seat.

Sasuke and Naruto watch her go warily while whispering to each other.

Sakura pretends not to notice, and Kakashi gives her a pat on the head for not murdering her teammates.

-*-

They make it to the village early morning.

Team 8 meets with the contact to receive the letter and pretends not to notice the man watching them from the shadows.

They play up their inexperience a bit for their audience, and Kurenai-sensei reassures their contact of her own capabilities.

Once the contact leaves, Team 7 greets them with the news that Kurenai-sensei is needed back at the village and surely her genin squad is capable of delivering a letter by themselves, right?

He hugs Sakura before Team 7 heads in the opposite direction and hands her the letter on the sly.

They say their goodbyes to the other team and to their teacher.

Team 8 will be the decoy while Team 7 delivers the document.

It’s a good plan, but an uneasy feeling is swirling in his gut.

It’s an odd feeling; he knows something bad is about to happen.

He’s not about to let that stop him from continuing the mission though. (Both teams are going home, alive and in one piece)

He places the false document in the front of his jacket, ensuring it bulges in just the right way.

Shino leads; Hinata guards the rear. Akamaru stays to his right, and Kurenai-sensei hides under a genjutsu to his left.

He hopes it’s enough.

-*-

Things go right, then they go wrong.

They succeed in pulling their pursuers off of Team 7.

Hinata counts six, and Akamaru confirms it.

Shino is leading them to the ambush point; Kurenai-sensei is weaving genjutsu after genjutsu.

They’re almost there, when the enemy start to wise-up and split themselves off.

Three of the mercenaries flank them to their right. The other three are suddenly gaining on their left.

That’s not what goes wrong.

It’s when Hinata gasps and alerts them to incoming ninja that things take a turn for the worst.  

The enemy ninja are on a whole other level. He can smell the strength rolling off of them, and they aren’t even close yet.

Akamaru’s helping Hinata track their movements; to their dismay, the enemy has no interest in letters made by low rank nobles.

The enemy is ignoring Team 8 all together and is making for Team 7.

It’s alarming because this means Team 7 is being specifically targeted.

He knows Kakashi is strong enough to protect his students, but he can’t help remembering the mission from Wave.

If anything happens to Sakura…

The men playing with swords need to go before they can do anything.

They continue to the ambush point. The trap would fail against smarter opponents; all of them are too tense and twitchy to be convincing.

The mercenaries think they’re hitting them on two sides, that they’ve cornered baby genin and won.

They lost the moment they came against Team 8.

The enemy swordsmen enter the designated clearing, raise their hands to their swords and freeze.

Shino’s kikaichu are both powerful and incredibly terrifying.

He’s been slowly planting his bugs onto the men since this goose chase began.

The swordsmen watch with wide and frightened eyes as Team 8 descends upon them under the watchful eye of their teacher.

He doesn’t even blink as he slashes their throats open.

His only thought is that he needs to get to Team 7.

These pitiful creatures are a mere annoyance.

-*-

Akamaru only barks Sakura's name, and Shino has withdrawn into himself.

Hinata throws up into the bushes.

Kurenai-sensei is there with encouragement and gentle eyes.

His teammates are both paler than normal, and Hinata’s gaze keeps ending up on the corpses drowning in blood. Still, they temper their emotions and await further orders.

He wants to reassure them, but the only thing he can think about is pink hair. (He’s so, so proud of them even though it pains him at the same time)

Kurenai-sensei orders them to move out; they’re going to back up Team 7.

None of them hesitate.

-*-

He and Akamaru catch the scent of their new enemy.

They smell of ozone, death, and hatred.

Three are, without a doubt, jonin level. Their power is almost overwhelming to his nose.

There are at least five lesser ninja with them, but none of them are push-overs.

As they race to their comrades’ (Comrades unto death) side, he can feel the unasked question hanging in the air.

Why are foreign ninja this close to Konoha?

-*-

Kakashi’s summons are out, surrounding the genin in a protective circle.

The jonin is zipping around like a demented lightning rod, catching and throwing back the lightning jutsu that are coming from everywhere at once. He’s doing everything he can to protect his students.

Sasuke has already been taken out, and Sakura is kneeling beside him, medical jutsu steadily going.

Naruto is nowhere to be seen.

Team 8 bursts on the scene like a fire given oil.

They give no one time to react, as Kurenai-sensei distracts them into misfiring their jutsu, Shino and Hinata take on a defensive position beside him, and he and Akamaru go for the nearest enemy’s throat.

He trusts them to defend his weak spots while he and Akamaru practically blinds themselves in a heavy-hitting assault.

He doesn’t even realize his opponent is dead until his teammates herd him next to Sakura, Kakashi’s summons letting them into their protective ring.

“Are you hurt? Where’s Naruto?” He asks, heart pounding in his ears.

He’s having trouble filtering the scents; he can’t tell if she’s been injured or not.

Her face is pale and there is fear dimming her eyes.

“I-I don’t know. They just all went after Sasuke. It was—it was a mess. Naruto thought they killed him, and he ran off after that crazy guy. I’m fine,” she adds almost as an afterthought.

He nods and inhales. She smells like shock and fear, but also like determination and anger. She doesn’t smell like her own blood.

She’s fine and he can breathe again.

Now that he can think, he does so.

The enemy are incredibly powerful ninja who wear no headbands. They smell like something foreign, but also like the Land of Fire. They’re very close to Konoha and have decided to go after the last Uchiha.

He doesn’t remember this happening in the manga.

Something is off; he feels like he has all the pieces for the puzzle, but they aren’t fitting together correctly.

“What do we do?” Hinata asks, and he forgets about it for the moment.

They are literally surrounded, and their target is Sasuke. Kurenai-sensei and Kakashi have dragged the jonin classed ninja away, leaving four weaker opponents behind.

He knows they would have never left if Kakashi’s summons weren’t there with them.

It’s unfortunate that the enemy knows a way around this issue.

Hand signs he has never heard of are simultaneously used, and the dogs’ connection to this world is cut.

They vanish in a puff of smoke, and their line of defense is gone.

“Get ready,” he tells her grimly, activating the Four Legs Technique.

-*-

Their enemies fight with a fervor that seems almost single-minded; all they want is to get to Sasuke.

Shino is their main offense, the ninja are unable to land a hit on the elusive Aburame, and he is using Insect Clones to drain their chakra and land a hit at the same time.

He and Akamaru are going after anyone who gets too close to Sasuke.

Hinata’s Gentle Fist isn’t incredibly strong yet, but Sakura is darting around her with chakra blades on her fingernails and a fierce snarl on her lips. Hinata is able to plan her movement around the other girl, and the two of them make for an incredible defense.

Shino takes out one of the ninjas before taking a hit to the stomach.

The Aburame goes down and does not get back up.

He sees red, and he howls. Akamaru joins him and together they rush the enemy.

-*-

Sakura is doing her best to heal Sasuke and Shino, but she’s exhausted and their injuries are extensive.

Hinata is guarding her back. Her Byakugan is activated and her Gentle Fist stance is determined.

He and Akamaru are making sure the only path the enemy can take is through Hinata.

Fang Passing Fang is not meant to be a barrier, but that’s what they’ve turned it into.

He’s getting tired and dizzy, but he and Akamaru keep rotating forwards and backwards, left to right.

It takes everything he has to keep alert instead of letting vertigo blur everything away.

(The world is spinning, no he’s spinning, no Akamaru is)

Metal and lightning are still being deflected by their technique, and he knows he can’t stop any time soon.

He hopes Naruto is okay.

-*-

The trees explode all around them, and he doesn’t have time to think.

“To your right!” Hinata cries.

He and Akamaru go after the ninja who is making a beeline for Sakura and her patients.

Using Passing Fang, he rips the ninja to shreds. Akamaru uses his own version to strike an enemy trying to sneak up from behind.

He makes the mistake of pausing to rest.

He’s wearied and he’s reaching for his soldier pills when it happens.

He feels an excruciating pain that seems to pass through to his very soul, and then the world spins a final time.

Sakura screams his name.

-*-

There’s another explosion.

He thinks he hears Naruto’s grating voice and feels relief.

Everything’s going to be fine now. He can trust Naruto with his precious people.

He fades out.

-*-

Sakura is crying.

His vision’s foggy and his head feels like it’s being smothered, but he knows the smell of her tears.

They haunt his dreams sometimes.

Water hits his face and he remembers to breathe.

Ah, he thinks, not water.

Sakura is crying over him. Something in his chest feels like it’s dying. It’s a terrible feeling.

Where is Akamaru?

Green fills his vision, and the smell of Sakura’s chakra is suddenly overwhelming.

Oblivion greets him.

-*-

It’s dark and everything is still and quiet. He wonders if he’s dead.

If he is, he hopes Akamaru is too. He’d hate to leave his partner behind to suffer.

Sakura and his teammates would be able to go on without him, but Akamaru would have a hard time.

He kind of hopes he’s not dead; it’s kind of boring, here in the darkness.

All he can do is think.

So he does.

Their C-rank was a disaster. The enemy was powerful and strangely persistent. Due to the nature of Sasuke’s injuries they were aiming to kill, not capture.

How weird is that? Being the last Uchiha and a fresh genin, Sasuke is weak and extremely valuable.

Speaking of weird, he doesn’t know any technique to disrupt a summon. He didn’t think it was possible.

Someone would have had to devote their entire life to creating it in secret, and then they go and use it on a bunch of genin?

A bunch of super powered ninja who all knew the technique, waiting outside of Konoha?

It almost seems like it was tailor-made for going after Sasuke. To create and train ninja with the jutsu, and then get them into the heart of the Land of Fire, they would have to have known about Kakashi before he was Team 7’s-

He gasps and opens his eyes.

-*-

He’s in a hospital, and Akamaru is bundled up in bandages next to him.

The smell of cleaning supplies and sickness makes his eyes water.

He has a heart monitor, and he wonders how he couldn’t hear that infernal beeping.

Akamaru’s asleep, and while he feels anxious to know what happened, the ninken has earned his rest.

Troubled thoughts are churning inside of him, and he has much to ponder on.

He needs to sort through his feelings before he’s ready to take on anything else.

-*-

A nurse checks on him and congratulates him of not dying to a heart attack.

He thanks her, though it comes out more of a question than a statement.

No one comes to visit, and he decides to wake Akamaru before he does something stupid.

-*-

To his relief, everyone’s fine. Shino is being cared for at home, and Hinata didn’t receive more than scratches. Sakura had to be admitted for chakra exhaustion, but it wasn’t too bad.

Naruto is better than ever, and Sasuke is still recovering. Sasuke doesn’t need to stay at the hospital due to Sakura’s intervention, but he’s been threatened with it if he tries to train with his new Sharingan eyes.

Kakashi and Kurenai-sensei disappeared the moment they were given the all clear on their students’ health.

They have a lot to discuss with Intelligence, he’s willing to bet.

Still, knowing that his comrades (unto death, into life) are safe, he’s able to go back to sleep.

He feels no remorse for the lives ended by his hands.

-*-

Hinata pops by to visit in the morning; she doesn’t stutter when speaking to him.

She brings paper and ink; she gives him the kicked puppy look when he expresses his irritation at having to write his report in his hospital bed.

He feels terrible and wishes she’d quit it already.

Still, it’s nice to see that she’s well with his own senses, and he’s glad she stopped by.

She even leaves a pink rose by his bedside.

-*-

Team 7 stops by a few hours later.

Sakura doesn’t say anything and just looks at him as if she’s never seen him before.

Naruto is bouncy and Sasuke is broody, but there is a warm atmosphere inside the room.

He thinks they are as relieved to see him, as he is to see them.

He’s hesitant to call Naruto and Sasuke friends, but he doesn’t mind the thought.

They catch up.

Naruto tells him how Kakashi has left them to their own devices, telling them to enjoy the break and not to get anyone pregnant.

“Tch, lazy pervert!” Naruto exclaims.

Sasuke doesn’t say much, but he positively preens when his Sharingan is mentioned.

Sakura still hasn’t said a word.

The two boys share a glance and Naruto loudly proclaims he’s going to go find the gift shop. Sasuke scoffs and tells him he couldn’t find a paper bag. Akamaru decides to join them, and they bicker all the way out the door.

It’s funny because he’s pretty sure the hospital doesn’t even have a gift shop.

-*-

They’re alone now, and there is nothing stopping him from telling Sakura his theory.

Except…

Green eyes bore into his, a suspicious shine to them; he hesitates.

He decides to wait a bit before springing it on her. Better for them to get this conversation out of the way first.

“So,” he says.

“So,” she says back wobbly.

He looks up at the ceiling and tries to think of something clever.

“Got any bread?” He asks.

He’s unprepared for the tackle that almost sets off his heart monitor.

“I thought I lost you,” she whispers into his shoulder.

He rubs her back and tries to figure out how to keep her from crying.

“I take hits from Ma harder than that,” he tries.

It’s a miss because he can feel her breath hitching.

“What,” she says still hiding her face in his shoulder, “possessed you to come?”

“It’s not like I can just reject Kurenai-sensei’s orders,” he says with humor.

“Plus you know I would never leave you like that,” he says softly.

She trembles slightly before taking a deep breath.

He blinks as she leans back to give him an irritated look. She raps her knuckles lightly on his forehead.

“I meant, why did you ask for the joint mission?” She asks, annoyed.

He winces.

“Found out about that, huh?” He hums up to the ceiling in thought.

“Had a feeling,” is all he says.

Sakura sighs in frustration, but drops it. A thoughtful look crosses her face.

“You know, I get that destiny says we’re not allowed normal missions, but this was pretty bizarre,” she taps her lips.

“I never knew of a technique that could dispel a summons,” she states, forehead scrunched.

Now, he knows, is the best time to speak up. She’s incredibly intelligent and might come to the conclusion herself. (She won’t because she doesn’t want to, his mind whispers)

He tries to tell her his theory, but the words don’t come out.

“I’m sure everyone’s worried about that,” he says instead.

He never tells her.

-*-

Sasuke, Naruto, and Akamaru make their triumph return. He’s surprised because they come back with a tiny cactus.

“Totally found that gift store!” Naruto exclaims jubilantly.

Sasuke rolls his eyes, but there’s a slight curl to his lips. Akamaru jumps back onto the bed and settles down.

He pretends he can’t smell the same florist shop Hinata visited on their clothes.

“Guess I’ll be needing to invite you guys over for dinner sometime,” he admits fondly.

Sakura blanches from her hospital seat, but Naruto is giving him a wide-eyed look.

“Really?” He asks, bouncing in nervousness.

“Yeah, gotta get Shino and Hinata over first, but we’re,” the next word is both heavy and easy to say, “friends now.”

Sasuke just “Hn”s, but Naruto is grinning from ear to ear.

Sakura stands up and looms over him

“You can’t have anyone over if your heart gives out,” she asserts irritably.

Now that the fear of losing her accomplice has been dealt with, anger has taken its place.

It’s a bit annoying, but she’s always been like that. He wouldn’t have her any other way.

“Eh, I’ll be up and running in no time,” he tells her to rile her up.

“If that’s how you feel then I guess you don’t need visitors,” she hisses.

“Well, maybe not then. I wouldn’t mind apples,” he says.

“Fine,” she scowls down at him.

Naruto and Sasuke watch their drama, perplexed.

He considers his next words and wonders if it’s even worth mentioning.

“Doctor,” he says seriously and Sakura’s eyebrows draw together in confusion, “will I ever walk again?”

She stares at him flatly before lifting the clipboard off his bed.  

She smacks him with it so hard he has no doubt everyone in the next three rooms heard it.

“I can’t believe you!” She screeches a she stomps off, clipboard still in hand.

Her teammates are left gaping at her back.

Akamaru laughs at him, and he relaxes back into the pillows with a smirk.

It had been totally worth it.

-*-

Ma and Sis welcome him back with hair ruffles and forehead flicks.

The craziness of home is like a balm to a wound he didn’t know he had.

He’s got orders not to strain his heart for the next four days, after that he should be able to ease his way back into training.

The clan seems to be waiting for him to say something, but he has no idea what.

Sakura rolls her eyes and tells him it’s obvious if he just thinks about it.

He can’t seem to reach enlightenment, so he thinks about the other thing weighing on his mind.

He can’t distract himself with training; he can’t ignore the truth.

He didn’t tell Sakura because he’s not sure he should warn her.

This person is gunning for Sasuke, and they might not be wrong to do so.

If Sasuke (Comrades unto death) winds up betraying his team (Comrades unto death), betrays Sakura (Comrades unto death), betrays him _(Comrades unto death)_ …

He might just kill Sasuke himself.


	2. On a training session

“Alright, thanks for your hard work,” the ninja behind the mission desk says cheerfully.

Akamaru lets a yawn; he reaches down and pats his partner in sympathy. Shino and Hinata don’t say anything, but he can smell their exhaustion.

Ever since that disastrous mission, Team 8 has been training nonstop.

When Kurenai-sensei isn’t throwing strategy and battle simulations at them, they’re burning through missions like no one’s business.

When Kurenai-sensei is done, their clans practically fall on top of each other to knock the stuffing out of them.

They get just enough sleep to keep them going before the cycle repeats.

The four of them are getting worn down, slowly and surely. Shino’s flat out stopped communicating, and Hinata’s newly found confidence has taken a nosedive.

The worst part is that he hasn’t seen Sakura for weeks.

He hasn’t had time to ponder over the new game changer; he’s barely surviving.

On a positive note, he’s managed to create a Shadow Clone.

It was only for three seconds, but it was an awesome three seconds.

-*-

“Put your back into it!” Ma barks before her fist connects with his face.

He’s sent flying, and Akamaru races to his side.

He can feel the sweat rolling down his neck and hears Akamaru’s heavy panting beside him.

He gets back up only to get knocked back down.

-*-

“Hinata’s been captured, and Shino has been compromised. What do you do?” Kurenai-sensei asks.

A senbon is digging into Hinata’s temple, and she trembles in a silent Shino’s hold.

It’s a genjutsu, but it hurts all the same.

He closes his eyes and thinks.

Akamaru lets out a whine beside him.

-*-

“The hell!” He shrieks, clawing at his nose.

“Suck it up!” Sis shouts at him. “Your sense of smell is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness. Your enemies are going to throw much worse at you.”

Well, yes, he understands that, but he’s this close to slicing off his own nose.

The powder thrown into his face stings his eyes, but he barely feels that over the excruciating pain that smelling it is causing.

He knows rationally that it can’t last forever, but he feels kind of like he’s dying.

Dampening his sense of smell isn’t working, and it’s just so painful.

In a last ditch effort, he knocks himself out.

-*-

“Again,” Kurenai-sensei says.

He stares at Hinata who is watching him with wearied eyes.

Her stance is meek, and she’s no longer speaking to him.

This is wrong; she already smells like defeat.

He glances at Shino, and knows the Aburame is worried too.

Kurenai-sensei watches them, but she isn’t seeing them.

It only hits him now on why that is.

They were thrown into a fight they hadn’t been ready for; they killed, they fought, and then they nearly died. Their teacher wasn’t there.

They’ve had time to heal and overcome these things; Kurenai-sensei is still stuck watching her students die.

He takes out a kunai and glances towards his teacher.

Akamaru gives him a nod and seems to know exactly what he’s planning.

“Sorry,” he says, before plunging the kunai into his thigh.

It hurts, but he breathes through the pain.

“Kiba!” Kurenai-sensei shouts rushing to him.

She tries to unwrap his fingers from around the handle, but he’s not letting go. He vaguely notes Hinata is panicking and yelling at Shino for bandages. Akamaru is trying to keep them away.

It’s interesting, but that’s not what he needs to be concerned about right now.

“Sensei,” he begins quietly, “I’m bleeding because I’m alive.”

She stops and looks at him. Shino and Hinata are hovering behind her, listening.

“I’m alive,” he repeats, making sure to look her dead in the eye.

“I know you want us to be prepared to take on anything, but we’re useless if we’re tired. Hinata’s too drained to be the badass she is, and Shino doesn’t even buzz anymore.”

He takes a breath and pulls the kunai out.

“We’re alive,” he stresses.

Kurenai-sensei finally sees them again.

-*-

Hinata quietly bandages him up after making sure he hasn’t hit anything serious. Shino is standing guard like an over protective tree.

Kurenai-sensei quietly apologizes and tells them to take the rest of the day off.

She leaves, but there is a purpose to her stride. He wonders what she’s up to.

His teammates bully him into finding Sakura to inspect his self-inflected wound, and he invites them over for dinner.

It’s been dark for a while, but he thinks he can see the sun.

-*-

Sakura rags him at first, but eventually tells him she understands.

Her chakra is soothing. He’s glad to smell it again. Akamaru’s just glad to see her.

“Kakashi-sensei isn’t driving us into the ground,” she says once her hands are no longer lit, “but he’s certainly upped our training. He’s not as late as he was before.”

It’s been peaceful; their childhoods were mainly filled with the stress of the future.

He thinks the jonin are holding their breath for war.

He can’t blame them; war is coming.

It’s just not what they’re thinking.

-*-

Ma and Sis are standing in front of him, arms crossed.

He watches them warily, wondering what he did to sic them both on him

“Apparently,” Ma says, dragging it out with a sneer, “we’re beating you up too much.”

He tilts his head in confusion.

“Your teacher stopped by and threatened to make us believe our ninken were cats if we didn’t let you get some rest,” Sis says flatly.

He can’t stop his mouth from opening in shock.

Akamaru questions them because his voice has failed him.

“Tch, I ain’t scared of some genjutsu crap,” Ma scowls, “but the girl has a point.”

“You’re slipping from overwork,” Sis clarifies.

“We won’t have as much time for training, so from now on you have to work even _harder,_ ” Ma growls at him.

“You’re doing well, Kiba,” Sis smiles and ruffles his hair.

It’s confusing, but he wonders if he’s in love with his sensei.

-*-

Team 8 only does light training the next day.

Kurenai-sensei says she has an idea she wants to run by someone. She tells them she’ll come get them for lunch and leaves them staring at each other.

He’s mystified by it all but decides to take the break offered to him.

“So, did anyone else have sensei talk to their parents?” He asks.

Hinata and Shino share a look.

“Yes, Kurenai-sensei said some-” Hinata struggles to say delicately, “-not so nice things. Father hasn’t said anything more about training.”

“Kurenai-sensei also appeared at the main house. For what? To offer orders layered under suggestions to lighten the amount of family-style training. My parents have agreed. Why? Because they, too, are concerned about my health,” Shino states.

He throws his head back and laughs.

“She threatened to make my family see cats instead of ninken,” he tells them with a grin.

Hinata breaks into giggles, and Shino buzzes in amusement.

-*-

They have some time left before their teacher comes back. It feels wrong to stand by and do nothing.

To keep from being bored, he forces them to play blind-man’s tag. They have to keep their eyes closed, but there is also stipulations.

Hinata isn’t allowed to use her Byakugan, and Shino can’t use his kikaichu.

Akamaru and he suppress their ability to smell.

It’s unnerving and feels wrong, but this is a training session as much as it is a game.

One day they may not have a choice about being unable to rely on their main sense.

For now though, it’s just a game, and Akamaru is winning.

When he accuses the ninken of cheating, blind-man’s tag turns into a free for all.

They’re still training, but they’re also having fun. (They revel in being _alive_ )

Shino and Akamaru are left standing victorious, having secretly partnered up behind everyone’s back.

He calls them both traitors, but he is smiling.

-*-

Lunch is at a familiar barbecue restaurant.

Hinata is squirming on his left, and Shino is stiff on his right. Akamaru has been placed on top of his head and is pretending to be a stuffed animal.

He’s pretty sure this place doesn’t have a problem with nin-animals, but they’ve decided to keep quiet just this once.

They can test the restaurant’s limits later. He’s more concerned about the current situation.

Kurenai-sensei sits at the head of the table to their right, and Asuma sits across from her.

Team 10 fills in the other side; Shikamaru is slouching in the middle with Chouji to his left, Ino to his right.

He’s not worried, but that doesn’t stop him from acknowledging that Konoha’s most dangerous genin is sitting directly across from him.

-*-

It’s an awkward affair.

He’s not sure the tense atmosphere helps.

“Hinata, you’ve done something to your hair?” Ino questions uncertainly.

“A-Ah,” Hinata tries to answer.

Shikamaru lets his forehead hit the table, and Chouji stares at the grill.

Their teachers are watching with sharp eyes when they’re not giving each other mushy looks. (They think no one notices; he wonders who doesn’t)

He’s trying to pretend he’s on a mission; it doesn’t work. This is just a really terrible lunch.

-*-

What no one says is that this table is filled with nothing but clan heirs who don’t want repercussions from bad interactions.

It’s politics, plain and simple.

The Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi are too intertwined to break, but they’re the only families with such close ties.

The Akimichi, Aburame, and Hyuuga share the title Noble Clan, but maintain a polite distance from each other.

This will change if Shino and Hinata decide to remain friends after their genin squad breaks apart. (He knows they will)

Because Sasuke has no real power politically, the power shift between the Noble Clans will be felt.

The Aburame share a bizarre synergy with the Yamanaka involving plants, and the Nara pretend they’re uninterested in clan politics while using their connections wisely.

His own family is almost isolated, though that could change soon. The Inuzuka despise the Hyuuga and the Aburame, but there is a grudging respect there.

All he has to do is keep his teammates close, knock down anyone who gives them trouble, and the Inuzuka will follow his lead.

Except…

Ah, that’s what his clan wants from him.

He does a Shikamaru and lets his face slam into the table.

-*-

On retrospect, that was a bad idea.

-*-

Akamaru goes flying onto Shikamaru, and Hinata leaps for the ninken without a second though.

A bottle of sauce is knocked over, and Ino starts screaming about her shirt.

Hinata looks near tears; Shino suggests that Ino should shut up by killing herself. (Not in so many words)

Chouji is not one to stand for such things and is threatening Shino. Shino mocks him for it.

Shikamaru doesn’t move, but he can smell the irritation rolling off the shadow-user.

Akamaru is giving him a dirty look, and he buries his face in his arms.

He decides he doesn’t care.

About any of it.

-*-

Their jonin-sensei manage to restore order, but the atmosphere is left silent and chilly.

The lines have been drawn, and it’s messy.

As of now, the Aburame have formed a pact with the Hyuuga, and are at odds with the Akimichi.

The Yamanaka have a grievance with the Hyuuga, and the Nara will be backing both while denying it.

The Hyuuga are staying out of it, but will back the Aburame if push comes to shove.

He, himself, is a non-factor at the moment.

While the heirs have no actual say in clan politics, if feelings fester into adulthood, this will be exactly what happens.

It’s all really stupid and shows exactly why the Inuzuka are by themselves.

His family may be crazy, but at least they’re sane.

-*-

Team 8 and Team 10 have a joint training session tomorrow morning.

He doesn’t know if anyone will survive if both teams are pitted against each other.

Shino wants to murder Chouji, and Shikamaru probably won’t let that slide.

This is just going to end in tears; he knows it.

-*-

“So, Kiba,” Kurenai-sensei says chillingly, “since you’re so excited about making friends, let’s work out some of that energy.”

He’s forced to deflect shuriken and kunai while upside-down, feet attached with chakra to a tree-limb.

Shino and Hinata are carefully throwing, and Kurenai-sensei is over-seeing them.

Akamaru is next to Kurenai-sensei, satisfaction written all over him.

He thinks this must be love.

-*-

Shino is scheming something, and Hinata is depressed over ruining Ino’s shirt. They take a rain check on dinner.

He shrugs and tells them, “Next time, then.”

He’s not upset; they’ll be coming over soon enough.

Akamaru barks out a suggestion, and he decides to let Sis know no one’s coming home for dinner.

-*-

He greets Sakura’s parents with an armload of food; Akamaru is carefully holding a flower between his teeth.

“Here for dinner, then?” Mrs. Haruno asks, kneeling in front of Akamaru.

He knows the older woman has a weakness for the ninken; so long as Akamaru is here, he can get away with practically anything.

“Son!” Mr. Haruno cries from the kitchen table. “Come eat, your parents missed you so!”

“Dad!” Sakura screams, hitting her father.

She’s careful to judge her strength, so her father is only sent flying a little bit.

It’s a loving family Sakura’s been blessed with, and he likes to think he can consider them family too.

Just not the way they want him to.

He takes his place at their table, and Mrs. Haruno asks him to call her “Mom” as she always does, Akamaru in her lap.

Sakura twitches, while her father pouts when he refuses to call the man, “Dad.”

He knows the Harunos already consider him their son-in-law, but Sakura would throw a fit if he humored them.

-*-

Sakura walks him home. He tells her about tomorrow’s training exercise with Team 10. (He doesn’t tell her anything about the possible feuds he may have started)

Her eyebrows draw together.

“Strange, I think Kakashi-sensei has something planned tomorrow too. He asked us to meet up earlier than usual,” she says thoughtfully.

Akamaru rides in her arms, and barks out a question.

He plays translator between ninken and girl, and they carefully avoid all mentions of upcoming exams.

They bid goodbye once they hit the fields that begin the Inuzuka territory.

Home is crawling with dogs and loud noises; he doesn’t understand how anyone could live any differently.

He blanches when he smells a certain odor drifting in the wind.

-*-

Aunt Himawari is put out because she made her special stew, and he has to thank every deity he knows for Team 10’s good timing.

Clan feuds have nothing on Old Aunties who can’t be avoided. (Aunt Himawari’s ninken died years ago; he’s obligated to choke down terrible cooking while complementing it.)

He’s glad Shino and Hinata have been saved from a terrible fate.

-*-

Team 10 is nowhere to be seen, but Team 8 likes to arrive early.

He greets Shino and Hinata, and Akamaru demands cuddles that the Hyuuga happily gives.

Shino is giving the Aburame version of an evil cackle.

He decides he’s not touching that, and time passes peacefully.

He smells Team 10 almost at the same time he hears them.

Ino is just that loud.

She’s dragging Shikamaru by the arm and Chouji is following behind, munching away.

The moment the Akimichi’s eyes lock with Shino’s sunglasses, he can almost hear the crackle.

He’s honestly rather impressed.

-*-

“Alright,” Asuma says to them, “we’ve decided to make this a race. The teams will be competing with each other to retrieve the target first.”

The jonin takes a moment to enjoy his cigarette.

“Well?” Ino demands, “What’s the target?”

“There are a couple of things you need to know,” he continues, ignoring Ino entirely. “You’ll each be given two clues, but you’ll be unable to share it. You’ll need to work out where and what your target is. You have the entire afternoon to find it.”

“You will not leave the boundaries we set. You cannot conscript outside help. There will be no sabotage. We’ll have judges monitoring you to ensure you follow the rules,” Kurenai-sensei says sternly.

“Since this _is_ a competition, we’ve decided that the winners will either get a day off,” Asuma says looking at Shikamaru, “or a free meal.” He finishes looking at Chouji.

“Your judges will be observing you every step of the way,” Kurenai-sensei interjects, “and if you try to give your clue away, you’re going to be doing some _extra_ _training._ ”

She’s smiling gently, but there is an ominous dark cloud hanging behind her.

They shiver.

“So it’s a race between us and Team 8, right?” Ino asks warily, “Are we allowed to know who the judges are?”

“No, and you won’t be competing with Team 8,” Asuma smirks deviously.

“U-Um, then are we…?” Hinata trails off uncertainty.

“Oh, you’re going to have teammates, just not cell teammates.” Kurenai-sensei smiles wider.

-*-

The jonin-sensei pair them into teams of two:

Shino’s stuck with Shikamaru, and Hinata’s with Chouji.

This leaves him with Ino.

It doesn’t fill him with confidence, but maybe it won’t be so bad.

-*-

“Ugh! I can’t believe I’m stuck with dog-boy!” She screams stomping her foot.

“Oi! You’re not exactly the cream of the crop yourself,” he growls.

“What? You’re lucky to have me!” She shouts in his face.

“Lucky like a disease,” he spits back.

-*-

This is about as well as it goes.

-*-

“Let’s just get this over with,” she hisses.

“Fine,” he says.

Akamaru is watching them warily, and he’s forced to be a buffer for the ninken.

Akamaru won’t go near Ino until she stops screaming.

-*-

His clue is food and red.

It’s broad and vague, but Ino’s clues supposedly narrows it down.

He also knows how Kurenai-sensei works; it’ll be sitting right in front of their faces while they’re too busy thinking.

If he had Hinata or Shino, he’s sure he wouldn’t have much of a problem.

But, well, Ino.

-*-

“What kind of clues are these!” Ino says through gritted teeth.

“If I knew, I wouldn’t be here,” he growls back.

He can’t help it, everything about the girl makes him want to hit her.

Normally he can restrain himself to cold interactions, but she is really getting on his nerves.

-*-

He’s decided the best bet for the clue “food” is either in the merchant district or the Akimichi district.

Ino points him towards the merchant district, and they make some form of progress.

She’s still irritating though.

-*-

He senses her watching them on the rooftop. He knows that smell anywhere.

“Oi, Sakura, did Kurenai-sensei rope you into this, too?” He barks up to her.

Ino gapes as the pink-haired girl seemingly drops from nowhere.

“You’re not supposed to be talking to me,” Sakura says, but she’s smiling, eyes bright.

He believes she’s laughing at his misfortune.

“So you’re the judge,” he says.

“Her? But she’s a new genin too!” Ino doesn’t shout, but it’s a near thing.

“And you didn’t sense her, did you?” He shoots back irritably.

Sakura is watching them like they’re her new interesting specimens, and he knows it’s time to go.

She only gets that look when she wants to experiment.

-*-

It happens when he can’t sense Sakura, and the two of them are isolated from anyone else.

He later realizes that an awareness of these facts set it into motion.

He snaps.

-*-

“You’re not trying hard enough!” Ino screeches, “I can’t let Hinata beat me!”

“Oi,” he says warningly, “it was an accident. Don’t pick on Hinata.”

“Then she shouldn’t be so clumsy! Isn’t she the heiress? Aren’t the Hyuuga supposed to be, I don’t know, _graceful_?” Ino fires back.

It’s all boiling to a point, and he doesn’t even realize it.

“Shut your mouth, pig,” he says without thinking.

She freezes.

“What did you call me, you mutt?” She asks dangerously.

He no longer cares.

“You heard me,” he snarls, “Hinata may be clumsy, but at least she’s not a useless pig.”

“Oh that is it!” She screams balling her fist.

She’s reaching to punch him, but it’s almost like it’s in slow motion.

He has her on the ground before she knows what happened.

It was pathetically easy to leg sweep her.

He has his knee in her back, his grip is tight on the arm that tried to take a swing at him, and he can smell her fear.

He revels in it. (He’s _alive_ )

“You’re useless,” he taunts. “You’ve done nothing but look at boys and primp yourself in front of the mirror all these years. What kind of ninja are you?”

She doesn’t say anything.

“You couldn’t even sense Sakura, and you definitely can’t compare to Hinata,” he continues.

“Sakura trains hard every day to protect the things she loves, what about you?”

He lets her go with a scornful snort.

“You’re supposed to be better than this. You can be if you just try.”

-*-

Ino’s face is covered in dirt, and there are hints of tears in her eyes.

It must be from anger because she smells engulfed in it.

“Don’t you,” she says sharply, “ _ever_ call me useless again. A flower is useless, my teammates are useless, your _dog’s_ useless-”

He snarls.

“I. Am not. Useless.” She finishes in a harsh whisper.

Akamaru keeps him from going after her when she turns tail and flees.

-*-

How dare she? How dare she speak to him like that?

How dare she try to pin her own failings on Hinata and Akamaru?

He’s going to-

Akamaru bites him lightly on the leg.

He lets out an aggravated sigh and tries to let go of his anger.

It’s hard.

The Inuzuka way says to let out your rage physically. To tire the body and heal the mind.

If he tries to beat Ino up; he might just kill her by accident.

He decides to search for Sakura’s soothing scent instead.

It works.

-*-

He’s missed lunch, he doesn’t know where or what his target is, and Ino has stormed off.

If he believed in karma, this is where he’d start feeling bad.

Short-term aggravation aside, he’s happy, well-fed, and surrounded by friends and family.

Karma doesn’t exist.

-*-

“Looks like we’re going to have to find her, huh?” He asks Akamaru gloomily.

Akamaru gives him a sympathetic bark, but tells him to man up.

Teammates don’t abandon each other, the ninken says.

He rolls his eyes and starts trying to figure out where Ino’s scent trail begins.

He doesn’t know if she’ll take him back, but he has to try.

-*-

They’re following her scent through an alleyway when Akamaru stills.

The ninken’s posture is sending off all kinds of warning bells through his head.

Instinct sends him into a crouch beside the ninken, and he opens his senses to their max.

He smells it.

_Ozone, death, and hatred._

He smells it, and they are here in Konoha.

Ino is with them.

-*-

They don’t grab anyone else; they don’t think to.

The closer they get to the scent, the worse it gets.

He can smell Ino’s blood, and it’s sending him into a blind panic.

He abandoned his teammate; he tore her down and left her.

She’s bleeding now because of him.

Akamaru is keeping him from tearing off at top speed in Four Legs form, but it’s a near thing.

No one else realizes the danger the blonde’s in, ninja bleed all the time, and the only other person who can recognize that particular smell is Kakashi.

He doesn’t smell the jonin anywhere nearby.

He’s sorry; he takes it back.

There is karma.

-*-

The trail leads near the Yamanaka compound.

Ino had probably been on her way home.

The scent of blood is getting stronger.

-*-

She’s right in front of them; he can smell it.

Akamaru asks him to use the Human Beast Clone technique.

He does so.

-*-

It’s a Yamanaka townhouse that sits on the very edge of their territory.

That’s where the trail ends.

There is a paper with writing that hangs on the doorknob.

“I’ve woken up, now I must go back to sleep”

It’s written cutesy, and there is a picture of a sleeping cat drawn onto it.

He stuffs it into his jacket and then kicks down the door.

-*-

There is a silhouette standing above a motionless form.

He dodges the senbon thrown, and Akamaru goes for the throat.

He snarls as the man manages to kick Akamaru away, but it’s soundless.

Passing Fang barely misses; he hits the floor behind his opponent.

The enemy brings their hand up in a familiar hand sign, and he throws himself out of the way.

The enemy tries again, and he barely manages to dodge.

He’s struggling to keep his Four Legs Technique under control, and he’s fighting against a well-trained Yamanaka.

Ino’s either unconscious or dead, and there are silencing seals running.

No one knows he’s here; no one knows _Ino_ is here.

He can’t-

Akamaru lands next to him and punches him in the jaw. The ninken goes after their enemy and lands a well-placed kick.

Akamaru is undoubtedly growling at him for being stupid even if he can’t hear it.

He bites himself and breathes.

It’s enough.

He can’t worry about Ino right now, he’s got to figure out what he needs to do.

Akamaru can’t distract their opponent for much longer, so…

He either needs to bring the enemy down himself, together with Akamaru, or find another way.

It’s hard to think with this much silence.

Where, he wonders, are the seals at.

He closes his eyes and breathes; ink, he smells ink.

They’re in the walls.

He opens his eyes and smirks. He has an idea.

-*-

Passing Fang is a purely destructive technique. Given enough power, it can take on anything.

It can most certainly take down walls.

He rips through them as they weren’t even there.

He follows the smell of ink, and keeps his Passing Fang going like a miniature tornado.

The Yamanaka doesn’t figure out what he’s doing until it’s too late.

Sound returns, and Akamaru howls.

-*-

The roof comes down, and he makes sure to destroy the falling debris around Ino.

It’s loud and noisy; dust flies everywhere.

It’s perfect.

-*-

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” The man yells.

Akamaru and he don’t even bother paying attention as they keep aiming at the Yamanaka with Fang Passing Fang.

They’ve cornered the man in the backyard and don’t give him an inch.

They’re not trying to kill him.

They’re stalling for time while keeping him from using his mind jutsu.

“Konoha is counting on us!” He screams.

He almost falters, but reminds himself quickly that Yamanaka are known for their mind techniques and psychological prowess.

Nothing can justify having _ozone, death, and hatred_ seeped into their couches.

Nothing can justify attacking a girl on her way home.

He’s going to pay, and his own family will be the ones to sentence him.

-*-

Five Yamanaka, two Nara, and three unknown ninja show up.

It’s like the beginning to a joke.

Akamaru and he can’t stop using Fang Passing Fang as a fence because-

“He hurt the heiress, he’s _attacking_ me, why are you just standing there!” The man shouts.

A Yamanaka is running medical jutsu over Ino’s prone form, pale-faced and determined. A Nara stands by his side while the other Nara is examining the collapsed house with a thoughtful expression.

Two of the Yamanaka have run off for backup, and the rest are trying to figure out what to do.

The confused ninja are ready to rush them when the Nara standing next to Ino speaks up.

“She’s not dead. You’re not dead. Odd isn’t it?” He drawls lazily.

He almost halts his technique; Ino’s alive.

She’s alive.

It’s a relief; he hasn’t failed yet.

“What? No! Just help me!” The man demands, desperation oozing off of him.

“She appears to be knocked out with a Yamanaka technique,” the one healing her says grimly. “I can reverse it.”

An accusing silence falls over them.

He could care less about the silent conversations going on; he’s getting dizzy. Can they hurry this up?

“How about,” the other Nara suggests in the same lazy drawl, “we wake her up, so she can point the finger.”

The man pales, and both Nara’s eyes glint in satisfaction.

-*-

Ino wakes up with a groan.

She gapes at the scene around them.

The Yamanaka next to her very gently asks her what happened.

Ino is quiet for a moment and then reaches down to her thigh.

“Where’s my weapon pouch? I want to stab him myself!” She hisses while seething.

“Kiba!” She hollers, “Don’t you dare kill him! I want to do it!”

The Yamanaka’s eyebrows almost hit his hairline.

-*-

Akamaru and he can finally stop spinning. His stomach is having trouble settling, but it’s satisfying to see the man dragged off.

They have to restrain Ino from charging after him with a kunai.

They’re looking at a hospital trip and an interrogation.

Oddly enough, Ino won’t let go of his hand.

-*-

He tells them everything.

Their temporary partnership, their fight, the scent Akamaru and he picked up that sent him into a blind frenzy, all of it.

He’s not one for lying, and there’s no real reason to.

He doesn’t mention the paper still tucked away in his jacket.

-*-

They try to wrangle him into staying in the hospital for chakra observation.

He doesn’t let them win.

He’s had a long day, he’s tired and emotionally drained; he’s going home.

Then Ino asks for him, and he throws his hands up in defeat.

-*-

“You okay for visitors?” He questions.

Ino is pale, and the smell of blood is gone.

She looks exhausted.

“Yeah,” she says quietly, “just wanted to say thanks.”

She hesitates before saying,

“And that I’m sorry.”

He blinks in surprise. He did not expect that.

“I’m sorry for calling you useless, Akamaru,” she tells the ninken.

Akamaru gives an accepting bark.

He closes his eyes and sighs. He has his own apology to make.

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” he tells her. “I abandoned you.”

“But I’m the one that ran off!” She says puzzled.

“That shouldn’t have stopped me. I’m better than that.”

Teammates do not abandon each other.

He’s going to brand it into his soul.

“Better than me, huh?” Ino says with a grimace.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he tells her quietly.

She’s silent for a moment.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s just-well. I acted so stuck up, and you still came for me,” she says shyly.

It’s reserved, but she’s smiling.

It’s much better than the screeching from before.

“Of course, what are temporary teammates for?” He grins.

“Maybe some apples?” She asks, eyes wide and pleading.

He laughs.

“I’ll go get some.”

-*-

They’re both munching on apple slices, and Akamaru is lounging on Ino’s bed when she speaks up.

“So.”

“So,” he says back in amusement.

“Hey, I’m trying to say something here!” She scowls.

“So?” He asks teasingly.

Ino crosses her arms, huffing and pretends to be annoyed. She breaks it when she lets out a laugh.

“Alright, alright!” She says, “I just wanted to tell you something. It’s kind of personal.”

He motions that he’s listening.

“When I was three,” she says not looking at him, “I developed a split personality.”

He almost chokes on his apple piece.

“I don’t know why! Some think it’s due to messing around with techniques before I could comprehend it, but that’s not-it’s not,” she struggles.

“She called herself Abby and kept trying to convince me I wasn’t real. It was-it was rough. It got to the point that the clan decided she needed to go,” Ino says rubbing her forehead.

“So they erased her.”

-*-

He needs a moment, otherwise he’s going to do something rash.

Akamaru, his amazing partner, has him covered.

The ninken distracts Ino by demanding pets, and he tries to center himself.

He fights the urge to run to Sakura.

-*-

“Why are you telling me this?” He asks once he’s sure he’s got himself under control.

“When Ak-”she pauses, “-that man cornered me, he kept asking me about her. He didn’t seem to believe me when I told him she was gone.”

“I trusted him for tea,” she says grimacing. “When I realized something was up, he tried to get me to stay so he “could check _._ ””

“I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come,” she says softly.

She hasn’t stopped petting Akamaru, and she won’t look him in the eye.

He kind of wishes he killed the bastard.

-*-

He talks the staff into letting him stay past visiting hours.

He leaves Akamaru with Ino while he grabs some food.

It’s when he’s juggling take-out for three that he runs into Yamanaka Inoichi.

The man stares him down, and he can’t help but remember the words “erased her.”

It echoes like a bad memory.

After a long moment, her father hands him a pink peony and warns him not to try anything.

He blinks in confusion as the man walks away.

-*-

“I guess I just can’t understand it,” she admits.

He tilts his head in a silent question.

“You,” she points to Akamaru, “him. Your clan. Everything.”

She blows out a breath, and looks down at her hands.

“All my life I’ve heard about the wild Inuzukas, people who might as well be animals. Konoha’s best trackers, but not someone you want on your team.”

She looks him dead in the eye.

Her eyes are bright, intense, and blue.

Blue, very blue.

“They’re wrong,” she tells him resolutely. “You’re different, but you’re people.”

“And I couldn’t have asked for a better temporary teammate,” she breaks into a smile.

“Akamaru too.” She adds, looking at the ninken.

Something inside of him warms.

(Comrades)

-*-

He leaves when Ino drifts off.

His own bed is calling him.

Akamaru’s already asleep in his arms.

He curses when he remembers they never completed their training exercise.

-*-

Tap. Tap. Tap.

He wishes his dreams would quit aggravating him.

Tap. TapTapTap.

It makes it hard to sleep. Can’t he ever just have peaceful rest?

“Oi, Kiba.”

Dreamless sleep, is that too much to ask?

“ _Kiba!_ ”

He also wishes Sakura would quit haunting him. It’s not like he can’t just go see her.

“KIBA, WAKE UP!”

He rolls out of bed, hitting the dresser.

-*-

The sun is out, and there is unfortunately no food.

Akamaru refuses to leave his comfortable spot on the bed.

He doesn’t get that luxury. He kind of wishes he stayed at the hospital.

“So,” Sakura says once she’s sure he’s not suffering from chakra exhaustion, “what were you thinking?”

She’s giving him a bright smile, and he knows she’s livid.

He’s walking into a minefield he doesn’t know how to navigate.

“I had to rescue Ino?” He guesses.

It’s the wrong thing to say; she hits him in the shoulder _hard_.

“I was right there!” She screams at him, “You could have gotten me!”

“I,” he struggles to put his feelings into words, “kind of wasn’t thinking.”

She gives him a hooded stare, and he can feel himself sweating.

“Seriously,” he tries, “I didn’t even think of you.”

She cracks her knuckles ominously.

“I was this close to going feral. I didn’t think of anything at the time!” He backpedals.

It works, and the Sakura-shaped bomb is diffused.

“What do you mean? You really lost it?” She asks worriedly.

He sighs, and tells her what he can.

(There is no mention of erasure)

-*-

“Huh,” she says tapping her lips, “Guess I know why I’ve been chased by the Yamanaka all morning.

“You’re being harassed?” He asks with a frown.

“Oh no,” she denies, “they just keep trying to find out how you’re doing. It’s kind of what made me think you were worse off than you actually are.”

He blinks.

“How I’m doing?” He’s repeats in confusion.

“Well, it’s more like Ino wants to know and won’t let anyone rest until they do her bidding,” she admits.

Yamanaka are strange creatures, he thinks.

“Do you know how she is?” He decides to ask.

“Mhmm, I went and saw her after the fourth time I got stopped by some random Yamanaka. They’re keeping her at the hospital in case something more than a knock out technique was done. The Yamanaka are over-seeing it, of course.”

Her lips curl up into a smile, and her eyes are shining with mirth.

He has a bad feeling.

“Do you know,” she says slowly, “Ino has declared me her rival?”

“Ah?” Is all he can say.

“Oh yes, she said, 'I won’t lose to you no matter _what_ ,' and that 'I’ll become the greatest kunoichi ever, just you wait.' ” Sakura quotes barely keeping a straight face.

He’s confused, what set this off? Ino and Sakura are strangers, aren’t they?

Did he accidently push Ino onto Sakura when he snapped?

Sakura won’t tell him, but she won’t stop laughing either.

-*-

Apparently Shino bribed his own judge, Sasuke, so that no one won.

He used tomatoes.

Sasuke caused a whole fiasco involving Naruto that made Hinata faint and Chouji angry on her behalf.

Sakura was forced to intervene before buildings got destroyed.

Shikamaru was left with the wreckage.

Shino used _tomatoes_. (food, red)

Shino and Sasuke have also bonded over the need for vengeance.

He’s kind of worried.

-*-

Kurenai-sensei allows him to sit out while she makes good on her threat.

Technically, Shino did hand over his clue.

Hinata has to partake in the inhumane training session because Team 8 likes to suffer as a team. (Or so Kurenai-sensei says)

He’s startled when Shikamaru and Chouji swing by to provide a running commentary.

“Brutal,” Shikamaru exclaims as Hinata goes flying.

“Team 8’s on a different level,” Chouji agrees.

He wonders what their presence means.

-*-

He has a lot to think about.

He can’t stop staring at it.

_“I’ve woken up, now I must go back to sleep”_

There was also the _ozone, death, and hatred_ that clung to the man’s furniture, but not to the man, himself.

He doesn’t know if he’s been handed another piece to the puzzle, or if he’s reaching for something that isn’t there.

He puts the paper away and lies down when Akamaru gives him a questioning bark.

He has trouble sleeping, and he dreams of Sakura being erased.

-*-

“He killed himself before they got anything out of him. Shredded his own brain,” Ino tells him grimly.

He’s walking her home from the hospital, having gotten there as she was checking out.

“He must have known what would happen to him," He says darkly.

A Yamanaka in Interrogation would know exactly what would become of him.

Ino lets out a shaky sigh and reaches down to pet Akamaru.

The ninken lets her, and he can’t help but think they’re friends now.

He thinks about what that means.

“Oi, Ino. I’m putting together something of a get-together, want to come?” He asks.

She considers it.

“Can I bring the guys?” She inquires.

“Sure, why not?”

If Shino tries to commit murder, he’ll actually be fitting right in with the Inuzuka.

-*-

He explains to Ma and Sis what he wants to do, and they almost break his jaw in excitement.

He doesn’t think he’s going to get that small dinner he wants.

He sends out the invitations.

-*-

Tables and blankets have been set out; streamers and lanterns hang everywhere.

They’ve got pigs and deer roasting. Vegetables are being steamed, and it’s positively mouth-watering.

The cooks are having to fight off the ones who “just want a taste”, and the sounds of fights breaking out are practically background music.

There’s plenty of alcohol too.

The Inuzuka know what it means to throw a party, and though he just wanted an informal dinner, this is pretty good too.

Sakura arrives first, bringing her own thermos of tea. (She’s been around long enough to know better)

He leaves her by herself when he goes to meet Shino and Hinata at the edge of the compound.

They’re his most important guests. He needs to escort them personally.

Only a handful of clan members try to bother them, and a quick beat down takes care of that.

Akamaru lets Hinata carry him and hurls death threats at any ninken that come too close.

Shino and Hinata follow him to the main event area tense and unsure. They’re unused to the sheer amount of people, dogs, and noise.

He’ll just have to keep bringing them over until they are.

When he gets back, he sees Sakura surrounded by young Inuzuka filled with confidence and hormones.

She’s completely relaxed, but there’s an annoyed look on her face.

He sighs and cracks his knuckles.

-*-

Kurenai-sensei shows up, escorting Team 10 like requested.

He makes sure they know where to sit and leaves them to it.

Kurenai-sensei has a fixed smile on her face as she’s forced to deal with Sakura’s would-be-suitors.

Ino falters only for a moment before she’s flittering around, asking questions and demanding answers with an innocent expression.

The cousins she’s currently hounding seem bewildered and insecure. They’ve never had to put up with a Yamanaka. (Couldn’t happen to better people, he smirks)

Shikamaru has sprawled out onto a blanket, and Chouji seems to be stress eating.

The curious clan children who keep eyeing them will ensure they don’t get left out.

He keeps his teammates close as a precaution.

He’s made sure to let every single person know what would happen if they bother Shino and Hinata, but it’s better to prevent it in the first place.

Hinata hangs onto Akamaru like he’s a stuffed animal, and Shino keeps throwing Chouji dirty looks.

He tells him to either pick a fight or quit it.

This is a party; throw a punch or knock back some alcohol.

The only ones left to arrive are-

Naruto’s loud voice cuts through the noise, and he just knows the blond has said something to piss off his relatives.

A fireball goes streaming through the air, and he leaves his teammates under the care of Sakura.

Akamaru and he have to go grab two idiots.

-*-

Before they can eat, they must have the celebratory drink.

Ma takes her place at the center table; Sis is next to her on her left.

He takes his seat on her right and makes Sakura sit on his other side.

He’s carefully placed Kurenai-sensei, Team 7, Team 8, and Team 10 near the center.

He doesn’t know if they realize the real reason for the party, but he’s not going to show disrespect.

The clan is watching, and Ma holds up her sake dish.

“May our lives be lived, may we forever have our partners, and may we keep our kin close!” She roars.

The clan roars back, and all but the youngest knocks back a cup.

It tastes terrible. He’s not too fond of sake, but it’d be a disaster to refuse.

The moment is over and everyone’s turned their attention to eating.

He takes a breath and stands.

It’s now or never.

“Oi!” He yells.

No one pays attention, he’s not loud enough.

“OI!” He tries again.

Only a few clan members look at him, and a sharp feeling of irritation shoots through him.

“HEY YOU MAGGOTS! SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT, I’VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY!” He screams.

Everyone stops what they’re doing and watch him with unnerving eyes.

They sit back down.

He bangs a fist onto the table and declares,

“I’M GOING TO BE CLAN HEIR, ANYONE GOT A PROBLEM WITH IT?”

-*-

Only three people, one aunt, and two cousins, fight him for it.

It’s more out of obligation than because they don’t think him fit.

Akamaru and he don’t lose.

His clan’s been waiting for this announcement for years; he kind of feels bad for leaving them hanging for so long.

Sakura, his wonderful friend, patches them up with only a teasing, “Guess I’ll need to swear another oath, huh?”

Ma throws back her head and lets out a soul-rendering howl; Kuromaru goes next.

One by one, the rest of the clan joins in. Akamaru and he go last, and it feels incredible.

Their howls can be heard throughout all of Konoha, he’s willing to bet.

There are hard days coming up, but tonight is a joyous occasion he can share with the people he loves.

He’s going to keep moving towards the future, and he’s going to do it with his comrades by his side.

Together, he knows, they can overcome anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note: Ino's not a terrible kunoichi, not at all. Compared to the monsters that are Team 7 and Team 8, she falls squarely in the average range.


End file.
